Seating unit with removable life preserver section

ABSTRACT

A removable closed-cell foam life preserver with relatively flat surfaces is used as a portion of the seat cushion base material in a seating unit. Additional closed-cell foam pieces are used in and around the removable life preserver to provide a complete seat base portion of uniform thickness and resiliency and to define a space for the placement and storage of the life preserver section. These additional foam base pieces may be attached to a seat base or support pan or, alternatively, they may be attached at least in part to a liftable seat cover section. Preferably, the latter will incorporate a layer of opencell foam so as to give seating comfort over the less deformable closed-cell foam life preserver and the other base pieces in the seating unit.

United States Patent Dodd Sept. 9, 1975 [75] Inventor: Malcolm J. Dodd,Litchfield, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Universal Oil Products Company, Des Plaines, Ill,

[22] Filed: Dec. 19, 1973 [2]] Appl. No: 428,647

[52] US. Cl 9/7; 297/193 [51] Int. Cl. B63B 29/04 [58] Field of Search9/7, 12, 312; 244/122 R; 5/355; 297/192, 193, 335

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,267 2/1908 Baker 297/1931,368,397 2/1921 Hussander 297/193 3,152,343 l0/l964 Brown 9/3123,154,345 10/1964 Larnbrecht. 9/12 3,516,098 6/1970 O'Link 9/[2 PrimaryExaminer-Trygve M. Blix Assistant Examiner-Stuart M. Goldstein Attorney,Agent, or Firm-James R. Hoatson, Jr.; Philip T. Liggett; William H.Page, ll

[57] ABSTRACT A removable closed-cell foam life preserver withrelatively flat surfaces is used as a portion of the seat cushion basematerial in a seating unit. Additional closed-cell foam pieces are usedin and around the removable life preserver to provide a complete seatbase portion of uniform thickness and resiliency and to define a spacefor the placement and storage of the life preserver section. Theseadditional foam base pieces may be attached to a seat base or supportpan or, alternatively, they may be attached at least in part to aliftable seat cover section. Preferably, the latter will incorporate alayer of open-cell foam so as to give seating comfort over the lessdeformable closedcell foam life preserver and the other base pieces inthe seating unit.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 9 I975 N Cas Baum SEATING UNITWITH REMOVABLE LIFE PRESERVER SECTION This invention relates to aseating unit which utilizes a removable closed-cell foam life preserveras a part of the seat base portion and, in addition, has a liftable seatcovering portion which will be positioned over and in part supported bythe life preserver section.

More particularly, there is a defined space provided in the base portionof a seating unit such that a life preserver section may be readilylifted and replaced within the seat and, preferably, the life preserverwill have generally flat surfaces such that it can rest on a seatingunit support pan, or whatever, and will also provide an even surface forthe underside of a liftable seat covering section.

As is now generally known, it is customary, or required, that aircraftflying over water, as well as passenger carrying water-craft, shall makeprovisions for supplying a life preserver or some auxiliary floatationdevice for each passenger or seat of the carrier. Even for smallpleasure boats, it is generally required that each passenger shall carrya life preserver or floatable seat cushion as a safety measure.

With respect to the present invention and in its simplest embodiment,the seating unit may be made up in a manner to be a portable seatcushion unit, without a back, which in turn carries a removableclosed-cell foam life preserver; however, in a more general aspect theseating unit may comprise the seating portion of an airplane seat, ahydrofoil seat, or of any other type of passenger carrying boat orvehicle where it is deemed desirable to have life preservers for eachseat. It is, of course, not novel to utilize closed-cell foam for lifepreservers or floatation members. For example, US. Pat. Nos. 3,268,926and 3,369,262 set forth different ways to provide floatation cushionsthat are composites of opencell and closed-cell foam which may be liftedout and taken with the seat occupant as an emergency life preserver.Also sufficient closed-cell foam will be used to satisfy governmentalstandards in providing auxiliary floatation equipment. However,composite seat cushions with both opencell and closed-cell foammaterials are rather large and bulky and obviously not of an ideal shapeto be carried and strapped onto a person as a life preserver.

Thus, it is a principal object of the present invention to have aseating unit that provides for both the use of, and the storage of, aremovable life preserver section that can be entirely of closed-cellfoam except for the necessary strap and buckling means for theattachment of the life preserver to the person. The use ofa separateremovable life preserver section of all closed-cell foam further permitshaving a more conventional shape and size for the life preserver withthe generally desired opening to place around the neck of the wearer, aswell as the greater buoyancy.

As heretofore set forth, it is also an object of the present inventionto make use of the thickness of the closed-cell foam of the lifepreserver to serve as a resilient portion of the base for the overallseating unit, while additional surrounding and/or interiorly positionedclosed-cell foam sections can provide the rest of the base of the unitin a manner to have about the same compression characteristics andsupporting for a top covering section so as to, in turn, provide forpassenger comfort.

In a broad embodiment, the present invention provides a seating unitincorporating a separate life preserver member as a part of the seatcushion base material, which comprises, a removable, closed-cell foamlife preserver section sized and shaped to lay within the boundary ofthe seat cushion portion of the seating unit, said section therebyserving as a part of a resilient seat cushion base, additionalclosed-cell foam sections sized to fill in void portions of said lifepreserver section to provide substantially uniform thickness andresiliency for a resulting complete closed-cell foam seat cushion baseof the seating unit, a liftable seat cushion covering portion for saidseating unit adapted to be positioned over and supported by said lifepreserver section and said additional closed-cell foam sections, andmeans holding at least a portion of such additional sections in properplacement in said seating unit to thereby provide a defined space forsaid life preserver section.

Where desired, the life preserver may be of a generally rectangular formwith a partially split portion and an opening to go around the neck ofthe wearer such that it may be worn in the manner of a yoke and, also,the overall dimensions of the preserver may be sufficiently large toprovide most of the closed-cell foam base portion of the seating unit.However, generally the life preserver can be of somewhat smallerdimensions than the area of the seat cushion or the base for the seatcushion, and it will be of a non-rectangular, yoke-like configurationsuch that additional pieces of closed-cell foam will be required to fitaround at least a portion of the exterior of the life preserver section,as well as to have an additional portion to fit within any neck opening.As a result, the life preserver section will generally be fitted withina space at least partially encompassed by one or more pieces of basesupport material.

It may also be pointed out that the additional pieces within orpartially surrounding the life preserver section should be of the samegeneral thickness as such section and of the same type of material so asto provide uniform support and resiliency characteristics for the entireresulting base portion of the seating unit. The additional pieces withinand/or around the life preserver section may be attached to a lower pansection of a seating structure or they may be molded and formed tocomprise a part of a unitary section such that there is a void spacewhich will be filled with the removable life preserver section. In stillanother arrangement, the additional closed-cell pieces may be attachedto the upper, liftable seat covering section and thus liftable therewithseparate and apart from the life preserver section which will be liftedseparately from the seating unit or from a seat support member. In apreferred constmction, the top cover section will embody a layer ofopen-cell material so as to give greater seat ing comfort to an occupantand the additional pieces that may be attached thereto will be ofclosed-cell foam. Attachment may be by an adhesive, thermal bonding, orby suitable fabric covering, strap means, or other attachment means.Also, where the additional closed-cell pieces which are utilized in oraround the life preserver section are attached to a support pan or basesection, then such pieces may be sewn, strapped, fastened with adhesive,or otherwise attached to the particular seat support piece. in anyevent, in connection with any of the various embodiments that may beutilized for the present improved form of seating unit, the additionalpieces used to complete the formation of a seat base portion along withthe life preserver section will be arranged to define a suitable spacefor the storing of the removable life preserver section whereby thelatter can be readily lifted out and accessible for use by the merelifting of the top cover section.

In order that a top cover section will not be totally displaced and lostfrom a seating unit, the cover section may be in effect hingedlyattached to one edge of the seating unit whereby the hinged lifting ofthe cover section will provide access to the life preserver section. Forexample, the fabric covering for the top cover section may have one ormore points of attachment along the rear portion of the seating unit,along a front edge, or even along one side portion of the seating unitsuch that the covering portion may be lifted in the manner of a hingedbox top to provide access to the life preserver section. Also, asheretofore set forth, a preferred arrangement or design will providerelatively flat surfaces for the life preserver section so that it will,in turn, provide uniform even support for the top cover section as wellas effect a relatively flat fitting within the bottom of the seatingunit.

The closed-cell foam comprising the separate removable life preserversection, as well as the encompassing cushion base sections, may be madeof closed-cell vinyl chloride polymer foams, or equivalent materials andthe open-cell foam material which is preferably used within a liftablecover section may comprise any of the flexible resilient open-cellmaterials such as polyurethane foam, latex foam rubber, and the like.With respect to the terminology used, it may be further noted thatopen-cell foam materials will not necessarily have 100 percentinterconnecting cells in that suitable resilient open-cell materials mayhave about 75 percent of the cells interconnecting and still provide anacceptable cushioning material. On the other hand, the closedcellmaterial will not necessarily have 100 percent closed-cell but will havea substantially preponderance of at least about 75 percent of the cellsbeing closed and still provide suitable buoyant material suitable forlife preserving characteristics.

Reference to the accompanying drawing and the following descriptionthereof will serve to illustrate the present improved seating unit whichincorporates a removable life preserver section, as well as assist insetting forth variations and advantages which may be obtained in thepresent improved type of construction.

FIG. 1 of the drawing is a diagrammatic isometric view indicating aremovable life preserver section as a major portion of the seat basematerial and a removable cover section with projecting sections to fitin and encompass the life preserver section so as to provide a completeseating unit.

FIGS. 2 and 2A indicate diagrammatically modified base sections for theseating unit where separate base support pieces define a space for theremovable life preserver section.

FIG. 3 of the drawing indicates diagrammatically how the liftable seatcover portion may be hinged along a rear edge of the seating unit toopen in a hinged lid fashion.

FIG. 4 of the drawing indicates diagrammatically how the liftable seatcover section may be hingedly attached along a front edge portion of theseating unit to provide access to the removable life preserver section.

Referring now particularly to FIG. I of the drawing, there is indicateda life preserver section 1 which is provided with relatively flat upperand lower faces such that it may be readily laid upon a suitable supportbase 2 and in addition provide a top face 3 suitable to provide arelatively even uniform support for a removable or liftable coversection 4. The life preserver section 1 is also indicated to have ayoke-like shape with a longitudinal split at 5 and an opening at 6 suchthat the life preserver may be pulled apart and slipped around the neckof the person desiring to use the life preserver. In addition, the lifepreserver section 1 will have strap means 7 and buckle means (not shown)which can be utilized to strap the life preserver to a wearer andprevent the loss of the life preserver while the person may bestruggling in a body of water.

It is not intended to limit the life preserver 1 to any onepredetermined shape or size although typically it will have sufficientlength, width and depth of the particular closed-cell foam material toprovide the required buoyancy to satisfy any governmental regulations.Typically, the life preserver section can have a thickness of3 to 4inches and dimensions which will be somewhat smaller than the length andwidth of a particular seat such that additional closed-cell foam basepieces will be required to complement the life preserver section I, i.e.to fill in the voids within and around the life preserver section so asto provide a complete seat cushion base of uniform thickness andresiliency to, in turn, support the upper layer of liftable covering 4.

Typically, the liftable top cover portion 4 of the seating unit willembody at least some open-cell material as a layer over the seat cushionbase material and may for example comprise a layer such as portion 8which will extend from front to back over the entire unit and over allthe closed-cell base material. In accordance with the embodiment of FIG.1, cover section 4 will also have depending closed-cell sections such as9 and 10 that can fit around and encompass the front and back edgeportions of life preserver section 1, as well as have angular pieces at11 to fit around the tapered end portions at 12 on life preserver I. Inaddition, a generally circular piece 13 depends from the central portionof cover section 4 in a position to fit into the opening 6 of lifepreserver 1 so as to fill in the void caused by such hole. The dependingportions 9, 10, 11 and 13 may be attached to the open-cell foam layer 8by suitable adhesives, glues, stitching, thermal bonding, or whatever,or alternatively may be held in place by a suitable covering fabric orthe like.

In the present embodiment, there is indicated diagrammatically theplacement of a top cover fabric 14, or other suitable covering material,which will extend at least around the top front and back edge portionsof the liftable cover section 4. Also, where desired, an encasementfabric or other type of encasement material can encompass the entireliftable cover section 4.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2 of the drawing, there is indicateda modified design where the seating unit may have a molded one-piecesection 15 which, in turn, provides a relatively thin bottom section 16,front and rear wall sections 17 and 18, end portion 19 and a centrallydisposed circular section 20. In this type of construction andarrangement, each of the upwardly projecting pieces or sections willcomprise closed-cell foam material of substantially the same height asthe removable life preserver section which will fit into the void spaceprovided in the central portion of the molded unit such that a uniformthickness and uniform resiliency will result from the entire completebase portion for the seating unit and be suitable to have a liftablecover section positioned thereover. In this instance, the liftable coversection would not have any depending pieces required to serve as cushionbase pieces although suitable depending edge pieces may be providedaround all or a part of the periphery of a cover section such that itmay be lifted and removed in the manner of a box top to provide accessto the removable life preserver section.

In FIG. 2A of the drawing, there is indicated a modification of thedesign and construction of FIG. 2 in that a seat base member 16' may beprovided of different material than the closed-cell foam pieces fillingthe void around a life preserver section. In other words, the additionalpieces such as l7, 18, 20 etc., will be glued or otherwise attached tothe separate pan section 16'.

In FIG. 3 of the drawing, there is indicated diagrammatically apassenger vehicle type of seating unit with a lower support section 21and a back portion 22, which may be moved for recline positioning, armmeans 23, and a seat pan section 24. Such seating unit may, for example,comprise a passenger seat such as may be used in aircraft, a waterferry-boat, hydrofoil or jetfoil craft, and so forth. In connection withthis FIG. 3, there is indicated diagrammatically the placement of aremovable life preserver section 25 on the seat pan section 24 at adefined position as may be designated by the placement and attachment ofan interior circular member 26 to seat pan 24 as well as the placementof a rear member 27. The members 26 and 27 will be of closed-cell foamto complement and fill in void portions around the life preserver 25 inthe seat cushion base portion for the overall seating unit. There isalso indicated diagrammatically the utilization of a liftable coversection 28 which is hingedly attached at 29 along a rear edge portionthereof to the back of the seat structure such that the entire coversection may be lifted in a hinged lid manner. There is also indicatedthe utilization of depending closed-cell foam pieces at 30 and 31 fromcover section 28 such that additional void areas around removable lifepreserver section 25 will be filled in to complete the cushion supportportion of the seating unit. An entire upper layer of open-cell foam andsuitable fabric means may be provided as a part of cover section 28 tofit over the entire seat cushion base material and the life preserversection 25 such that there is uniform support as well as resilientseating comfort for a seat occupant.

In FIG. 4 of the drawing, there is another modification with respect todesign and configuration in having a front attachment for a hinged coversection 32 to fit over a removable life preserver section 33. In thisinstance, the latter may be held in place initially by a suitableinteriorly positioned circular piece 34 extending from and attached toseat pan section 24 while remaining portions closed-cell foam piecesfilling voids around the life preserver are attached to liftable coversection 32. In other wordsk, the words, is provided with front and rearclosed-cell portions at 35 and 36 to provide front and rear pieces tocomplement life preserver 33 in effecting the completion of cushion basematerial. In some instances, it may be determined that a front piece 35could be of open-cell foam. In FIG. 4, there is also an indication thatthe liftable cover section 32 will be hinged at 37 along the front edgeportion of seat support means 21 such that there is a front hinging forthe cover section to obtain access to the removable life preserversection 33. The hinging at 37 may be accomplished through the attachmentof fabric or other mate rial placed over the cover section 32 or it maybe accomplished by separate strap means stitched or otherwise attachedbetween the seat cover 32 and the seat supporting structure. In otherwords, it is not intended to limit the present invention to any onemethod of effecting the hinged attachment between a cover section and aseat support structure as relating to the present improved seating unit.Although not shown in the drawing, additional cushion base sections maybe provided along sides or end portions of the life preserver section 33to fill in any voids of the seat cushion base, as well as to define thespace within base portion for the life preserver.

[t is to be realized that the shape of the life preserver shown in thevarious figures of the present drawing is merely diagrammatic and thatvarious configurations may well be utilized in sizing and shaping suchsection. It is, however, a particular feature of the present inventionthat the life preserver section will comprise at least a major portionof the cushion base material and will be formed of closed-cell foam suchthat there is buoyancy available for use as a life preserver device aswell as some resiliency in serving as cushion support material. Theremay also be variations in the overall thickness of the seating unit withvarying depths, or thicknesses, for the closed-cell material as well asfor opencell material as part of the liftable cover section of the unit.Although the material forming the covering layer of the liftable coversection may be other than of opencell foam and may be of relativelyshallow depth, it is to be recognized that the less depth the greatersacrifree in comfort to a seat occupant.

ln another aspect, various types of strapping and buckling arrangementsmay also be utilized in combination with the removable life preserversection and it is not intended to limit the present invention to any onetype of buckling system or strap arrangement. The strap shown in thedrawing is merely diagrammatic to indicate that strap means can be, orshould be, provided in combination with the life preserver section.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a vehicle seat structure having a seat basesection, a seating unit incorporating a separate removable lifepreserver member as a part of the seat cushion base material to besupported from the seat base section which comprises, a removable,closed-cell foam life preserver section sized and shaped to be ofsmaller dimensions than the boundary of the seat cushion portion of theseating unit, additional closed-cell foam sections being of a size tofill in void portions of said life preserver section with respect tosaid boundary of said seat cushion portion of the seating unit, saidclosed-cell sections being of substantially uniform thickness, andproviding resiliency for a resulting complete closed-cell foam seatcushion base of said seating unit, with said additional closed-cell foamsections on said seat base section bounding and forming an upwardlyfacing opening complementary in size to said life preserver section, andproviding for its nonattached placement therein on the seat basesection, and a liftably attached seat cushion covering portion for saidseating unit positioned over said additional closed-cell foam sectionsand said life preserver section ment means in association therewith asthe means holding at least a portion of the additional closed-cell foamsections that fit in and around said life preserver section.

3. The seating unit of claim 1 still further characterized in that saidliftable covering portion is removably attached at the rear thereof.

4. The seating unit of claim 1 still further characterized in that saidliftable covering portion is removably attached at the front thereof.

1. In combination with a vehicle seat structure having a seat basesection, a seating unit incorporating a separate removable lifepreserver member as a part of the seat cushion base material to besupported from the seat base section which comprises, a removable,closed-cell foam life preserver section sized and shaped to be ofsmaller dimensions than the boundary of the seat cushion portion of theseating unit, additional closed-cell foam sections being of a size tofill in void portions of said life preserver section with respect tosaid boundary of said seat cushion portion of the seating unit, saidclosed-cell sections being of substantially uniform thickness, andproviding resiliency for a resulting complete closed-cell foam seatcushion base of said seating unit, with said additional closed-cell foamsections on said seat base section bounding and forming an upwardlyfacing opening complementary in size to said life preserver section, andproviding for its non-attached placement therein on the seat basesection, and a liftably attached seat cushion covering portion for saidseating unit positioned over said additional closed-cell foam sectionsand said life preserver section and being non-attached to the latter,said liftable seat cushion covering portion having a layer of open-cellfoam to provide improved seating comfort and being provided with ahinged attachment in interconnection with said seat to provide aresulting hingedly-movable cover portion over the life preserver sectionresting on said seat base section, whereby said life preserver sectionis readily liftable from its defined stored positioning on said seatbase section.
 2. The seating unit of claim 1 further characterized inthat said liftable cushion covering portion has attachment means inassociation therewith as the means holding at least a portion of theadditional closed-cell foam sections that fit in and around said lifepreserver section.
 3. The seating unit of claim 1 still furthercharacterized in that said liftable covering portion is removablyattached at the rear thereof.
 4. The seating unit of claim 1 stillfurther characterized in that said liftable covering portion isremovably attached at the front thereof.